Check Out And Chuck Out These Myths

Heart disease in America is caused by consumption of cholesterol and saturated fat from animal products.

Truth:

During the period of rapid increase in heart disease (1920-1960), American consumption of animal fats declined but consumption of hydrogenated and industrially processed vegetable fats increased dramatically. (USDA-HNI)

Myth:

Saturated fat clogs arteries.

Truth:

The fatty acids found in artery clogs are mostly unsaturated (74%) of which 41% are polyunsaturated. (Lancet 1994 344:1195)

Myth:

Vegetarians live longer.

Truth:

The annual all-cause death rate of vegetarian men is slightly more than that of non-vegetarian men (93% vs 89%); the annual death rate of vegetarian women is significantly more than that of non-vegetarian women (86% vs 54%) (Price-Pottenger Nutrition Journal 1998 22:4:29)

Myth:

Vitamin B12 can be obtained from certain plant sources such as blue-green algae and soy products.

The all-cause death rate is higher in individuals with cholesterol levels lower than 180 mg/dl. (Circulation 1992 86:3)

Myth:

Animal fats cause cancer and heart disease.

Truth:

Animal fats contain many nutrients that protect against cancer and heart disease; elevated rates of cancer and heart disease are associated with consumption of large amounts of vegetable oils. (Fed Proc July 1978 37:2215)

Myth:

Beef causes colon cancer.

Truth:

Argentina, with higher beef consumption per capita, has lower rates of colon cancer than the United States. Mormons have lower rates of colon cancer than vegetarian Seventh Day Adventists. (Cancer Res 35:3513 1975)

Americans consume far too much of one kind of EFA (omega-6 EFAs found in most polyunsaturated vegetable oils) but not enough of another kind of EFA (omega-3 EFAs found in fish, fish oils, eggs from properly fed chickens, dark green vegetables and herbs, and oils from certain seeds such as flax and chia, nuts such as walnuts and in small amounts in all whole grains.) (Am J Clin Nutr 1991 54:438-63)

Myth:

A vegetarian diet will protect you against atherosclerosis.

Truth:

The International Atherosclerosis Project found that vegetarians had just as much atherosclerosis as meat eaters (Lab Invest 1986 18: 465)

Myth:

Low-fat diets prevent breast cancer.

Truth:

A recent study found that women on very low- fat diets (less than 20%) had the same rate of breast cancer as women who consumed large amounts of fat. (NEJM 2/8/96)

When coconut oil was fed as 7% of energy to patients recovering from heart attacks, the patients had greater improvement compared to untreated controls, and no difference compared to patients treated with corn or safflower oils. Populations that consume coconut oil have low rates of heart disease. Coconut oil may also be one of the most useful oils to prevent heart disease because of its antimicrobial characteristics. (JAMA 1967 202:1119-1123: Am J Clin Nutr 1981 34:1552)